Mr Mark Edward Pate

Mark Edward Pate was born on July 14, 1944, to the late Lemuel "Lem" Pate and Mariah Alston Pate in McBee, South Carolina. Mark was a member of the Galilee Baptist Church during his youth years. He attended Pine Forest High school and graduated in June 1962. While attending high school, he drove the school bus and played basketball. At age 19, Mark entered the U.S. Army on August 22, 1963, and served until being honorably discharged in August 1965. He then relocated to the Washington D.C. area where he was employed by Western Union at the Pentagon. In 1966, Mark moved on to Giant Food where he worked for 34 years as a meat manager, retiring in May 1999. Mark joined Barbara Howell Pate in marriage on April 15, 1967, and they remained married for 56 years. They had two children, Daryl and Crystal. Mark and his wife raised their children in Fort Washington, MD, and were members of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Hillcrest Heights, MD. During Mark's career with Giant Food, he worked at several locations around the beltway, but landed close to home at the store in Eastover towards the end of his tenure. In the first 10 years of retirement, Mark went on to become an entrepreneur and started his own company, Memories Promotional Products, where he sold products to local business, like Maryland Lottery, Teamsters and union locals. Mark inspired his son and three of his grandchildren to all become entrepreneurs today. Mark and his wife returned to Florence, South Carolina, in 2007 where they lived for 15 years. They met and became close to many new neighbors and attended Galilee Baptist Church in his hometown of McBee. During this time, Mark's health began to decline. For this reason, they returned to Odenton, Maryland, in January 2022. He passed away after a long illness on October 25, 2023. Mark was preceded in death by his brothers, Hampton Freddy Alston, Tanka Recona Alston, Franklin Alston, Birdie William Alston, and Jimmy Lemuel Pate. He is survived by his wife Barbara Howell Pate of Odenton, Maryland; one son, Daryl Maurice (Elizabeth Marie) Pate of Hanover, Maryland; one daughter, Crystal Michele (James Jermaine) Wade of Fort Washington Maryland; two grandsons, Daryl Maurice Pate Jr. and Demarco James Taylor-Wade; two granddaughters Skylar Mystique Greene, and Jenesis Jadyn Wade; and one great granddaughter Alaia Zani Wade; one brother, Charles (Shirley) Pate of Hillcrest Heights, Maryland; a sister-in-law, Ann Rackas Pate of Annapolis, Maryland; and two nieces who were raised with Mark, Maria Romero of Columbia, South Carolina, and Royetta Alston, of Central Islip, New York. He leaves behind a host of nieces, nephews, close relatives, and very dear friends. Mark was a kind and gentle person, always willing to lend a helping hand or give a word of advice. He served as a confident to many and assisted with helping them find employment. He was a great husband to his wife and father to his children. He loved sports (basketball and football) and was a proud fan of the Washington Redskins as well as a huge fan of the "Splash Brothers" of the Golden State Warriors, who he followed closely. Mark will be sorely missed.... Mark will be funeralized at Galilee Baptist Church and laid to rest at Pine Forest Memorial Cemetery in McBee, SC.

Mr Mark Edward Pate

July 14, 1944 - October 25, 2023